What If
by Liris
Summary: Naru left Mai to return to England. What if, when he returned, she had moved on? AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, back again, with a plot bunny that kicked me repeatedly until I actually wrote it. This is nothing to do with anything else I have ever written, and it's AU. What if, when Naru did return to Japan, Mai had moved on? I may do more to this if people want, but for now it's a one-shot. I don't know how long Naru take to go back in the manga (I haven't read that yet), but here it's 2 years.

I don't own Ghost Hunt, and I certainly don't own Naru or Mai.

* * *

You stand outside her door, one hand raised. The energy required to move your fist three inches to knock on the door is minimal, yet you cannot bring your hand to move. You know that she still lives here; you checked with the building owner beforehand. You also know that she is in right now; you saw her enter just before you arrived. She was carrying groceries, and looked almost exactly as you remembered her. Her hair is longer, swinging around her shoulders in a ponytail, and she is taller. But she is still Mai; she is still the girl you saw virtually every day for months while she worked for you. She is still the girl who told you she loved you two years ago to the day. She is still the girl you shot down callously, afraid to show emotion in case you broke at the look on her face. And that is why your hand will not move, that is why you are afraid – yes, afraid – to announce your presence to her.

You bite your lip, wincing as the pain registers. _Just do it_, you berate yourself silently. After all, what would happen if she opened the door and saw you standing there, fist raised idiotically? Would she freeze, wondering if you are a hallucination? Would she hug you? Would she slap you? You shake your head and knock, rather too loudly in your haste. You hear an exasperated noise from within the flat, and then the door swings open, revealing an irritated Mai.

"What is it?" she snaps, then she sees who is standing on her doorstep and her eyes widen. You ensure that your usual passive mask is in place and ask to enter in a tone that snaps her back to reality.

"It is you. Only you could turn a question into a demand like that."

She speaks without taking her eyes off your face, but she doesn't move aside for you to get past. You raise one eyebrow and speak again using the same tone.

"Are you going to move, Mai, or are we going to have this conversation in your doorway?"

You can tell by her expression that she is seriously considering the latter option, but after a few moments she steps back and allows you access to her home. You take three steps inside and freeze.

There are men's clothes strewn over the back of the sofa, and the place is a lot messier than you imagine even Mai could manage on her own. She has a boyfriend? The snap of the front door shutting makes you focus on the task at hand. So there is a man in her life; that's a good thing, right? It means that she's moved on from you, that you didn't do any lasting damage to her that day two years ago. You clear your throat and prepare to launch into your much-rehearsed speech, ignoring the unpleasant feeling in your stomach. She talks before you get chance to.

"Tea?"

You nod and watch her sashay into the kitchen. More has changed in the past couple of months that you realised. The short, clumsy 16 year old is gone, replaced by a young woman with long legs (or maybe it's just a really short skirt) and curves. How could you have thought that she'd still be the same? How could you not have been expecting this? Mai has grown up, and you have missed it. And it's entirely your own fault. Your stomach churns unpleasantly again.

The woman emerges from the kitchen with a cup of your favourite tea and hands it to you, gesturing for you to take a seat on the sofa. You eye the shirt tossed across the back, and she flushes scarlet and grabs at it, throwing it into the bedroom and shutting the door hurriedly. You smile at her blush – finally, something you remember. You sip the tea, and allow a small sigh to escape your lips. Nobody makes tea like Mai, and the time spent apart has not diminished her skill. Then again, if she has her own stock, she probably makes it for herself and her boyfriend regularly. You push the sour feeling away and place the empty cup on the floor, sitting beside her.

Her blush has vanished by now, and she meets your gaze neutrally.

"What brings you back to Japan, Oliver-san?"

She is using your real name, and you feel more distant from the young lady before you than you have in the last year. You swallow and recite your practiced speech.

"There are not enough paranormal cases in England to satisfy me. I'm reopening SPR, and..."

You break off at the look on her face. She regards you coolly, reminding you forcibly of yourself. Your heart rate increases, and the urge to stand and walk away before she can speak overwhelms you. You know exactly what is about to happen.

"And you want me to work for you?"

She doesn't wait for your confirmation, instead launching into a tirade that gets more heated with each word.

"Not happening, _Oliver-san_. You lied to me for the entire time you knew me about who you were, you treated me like a tea-maid, you insulted me constantly, and then once you had what you wanted, you dropped me without a second thought and disappeared for two whole years! On top of that, you saw fit to completely break my heart into little pieces before you went!"

She pauses, breathing heavily, and then relaxes back into her seat, continuing in a more normal tone.

"I have a new job now, Oliver-san, with a boss who actually appreciates what I do and treats me with some respect. You know, he uses little words like 'please' and 'thank you'. I have a whole different life to before you left, and this time it doesn't revolve around you. I won't go back to what I had before. I won't go back to you."

She finishes almost in a whisper, and will not look at your eyes. You sit completely frozen by her words, unable to deny the truth to them, and unable to think of a single reason why she should give all that up. For you? Maybe once she would have, but it is obvious by the look on her face and the tone in her voice that you lost that power over her long ago. She isn't _your_ Mai any more. Your Mai only ever called you Naru.

You stand and thank her for the tea, allowing your legs to take you to the exit automatically. She rises with you and opens the door, not saying a word as you pass her to leave. Just as the door closes behind you with a soft click, you hear her whisper.

"Goodbye, Naru."

You spin, but the door is closed and she is gone. You walk down to where Lin waits in the van. He takes one look at your face and knows immediately what has happened. He squeezes your shoulder once then starts the engine, driving back to the office. He even escorts you to your old private office and makes you a cup of tea. You stare at it for a while before pouring it into the nearest plant pot. It's going to be a while before you can stomach tea again.

* * *

Well? What did you think? Please leave a review, I'm still very new to this ficdom, and I want to know how I'm doing with the characters. If you want, I do have a way of elongating this into an actual story (N/M eventually). But I won't write it unless I'm asked to. Thanks for reading!

Liris  
xxx


	2. Chapter 2

You asked for more, so here it is. I've decided that I'm going to do short chapters for this, as I have quite a bit of uni work to be doing and this way I can update faster.

_krisaku_: Things aren't going to get better for Naru this chapter I'm afraid.  
_thearistocrat_: Yep, I agree with you, he deserved it. Glad you like it so much!  
_Ariana Taniyama_: Glad you like it, sorry, no N/M this chapter (well, not unless you want to see it), but I can guarentee some later on for you.  
_Sable Scribe_: Not a lot of N/M interaction this chapter, but from the next couple onwards there will be.  
Also thanks to _AlexaTarot_, _keywordparamore_ and _Ivi90_. The reviews help me write quicker!

* * *

Over the next two hours, you call up all the old team; Masako is currently out of the country to film in America, and Yasuhara is firmly ensconced in university life, but the others agree to meet with you and Lin the next day. Bou-san in particular sounds happy to do so; it appears that his life has been rather full of fan-girls the last two years, as he threw himself into the band in the absence of his SPR ventures. You feel a slight twinge of guilt, which you immediately suppress as unhealthy. You have nothing to feel guilty about; they all had lives before SPR, and they have continued them since. Now that you are back they are more than willing to come when you call, just like before. Nothing has changed. You eye the empty desk in the main office, and the empty teacup at your elbow. Better make that almost nothing.

You pick up the newspaper that Lin left you earlier and riffle through it. You feel more out of touch with Japan than you are willing to admit, and hope that by catching up on the news, you will feel more at home here. Funny, you were feeling fine until you went to visit Mai.

Forcibly, you return you attention to the newspaper. There is little of actual interest to you until you reach the fifth page. A banner across the bottom of the page advertises 'NORI - Psychic aid and exorcisms', along with two satisfied customer affidavits and a number to call. The address is also printed in small figures at the very bottom. You frown. The address is just around the corner from here. Apparently, one of your small rivals has cornered the market in your absence, and they are doing well if the size of the advert is anything to go by. Page space in this particular newspaper is not cheap. But are they the real deal, or just very convincing fraudsters?

You fold the newspaper and place it back on your desk, a small smile framing your lips. Finally, something to investigate. You have been back in Japan for two weeks now, and nothing has captured your interest enough to drag you away from organising the office. This is something simple enough to be done by yourself in just a few minutes, and is not only beneficial to the running of SPR, but has come along at the perfect time to take your mind off Mai's empty desk. You reach for your jacket and tell Lin that you are going out for a few minutes. He eyes you as if searching for a reason to disallow it, but apparently finds nothing and nods.

You walk the block to the office, intending to announce yourself as a potential client and use the opportunity to 'read' the office. If there are any genuine psychics working there, your abilities will tell you, and you will have to work even harder than before to compete with the established organisation. If not, then you can expose them for the frauds they are, saving the people of Japan money and yourself some wasted time. It is closed. You check your watch; it is almost 8pm. Not everyone works the whole night like you do, evidently. You turn and walk back to the office, resolving to return in the morning before you meet with Ayako, John and Bou-san.

There is a pressure on your shoulder, and somebody speaks into your ear. You open your eyes, wincing at the light shining into the room through the slat blinds and directly into your eyes. You sit up, realising that once again, you fell asleep at your desk in the office. Lin straightens and hands you a cup of tea. You wait until he leaves the room to pour it away like before. The plant protests at this, its leaves wilting a little. Hot water and greenery do not mix, apparently. Then you catch sight of the clock, and decide that the welfare of one small shrub is not your biggest concern right now – if you want to visit the Nori offices before your meeting, you have to leave now. Swiping your jacket from the back of the chair, you bark at Lin that you will be back in time to greet the others and leave before he can respond. The block passes quickly and this time when you reach the office it is open. You push the door and enter, a small bell ringing overhead.

The office has a main reception area, bedecked with sofas and a coffee table littered with magazines. You resist the urge to scoff; it looks more like a doctor's waiting room than a place of business. A boy of about your own age pokes his head out of one of the five doors leading from the main room and smiles at you winningly. You do not scowl at him, but nor do you smile. He doesn't seem fazed by this.

"Hello, Sir. Can I help you?"

You raise an eyebrow at this. Why would you be here if you didn't want something from them? The boy emerges fully from the other room and bows. You imitate the gesture. Even if you are here as a sceptic, there is no need to be completely rude. The boy produces a clipboard and pen from somewhere and looks at you expectantly.

"Do you have a reservation?"

I wasn't aware I was at a restaurant, you think, but you change your answer to a simpler 'no'. Being acerbic here will not help you find out the truth. The boy nods, smile still in place.

"That's not a problem, you can either make one for later, or we do have a spot open now, if you'd like a consultation right away?"

You nod and provide the boy with the Japanese name you lived under while here last. He doesn't respond to it; either he's new to the business, or your fame was more fleeting than you'd thought. He jots it down on his paper and beams at you once again before vanishing into the room adjacent to the one he emerged from. He reappears very quickly this time devoid of his clipboard, and asks if you want any refreshments. You suggest coffee, and he scurries through yet another door that you assume leads to the kitchen.

You only have to wait perhaps a minute at most before you are beckoned into the room the boy left the clipboard in. You enter and see that, while it isn't quite as informal an environment as the outer office, nor is it as personal as a private office. It has a comfortable-looking sofa and two chairs opposite a desk, on which a laptop and the clipboard are the only things visible. Behind the desk sits a man of about thirty, with thin black hair and pale blue eyes. You sit in the seat directly opposite him, and wonder how best to 'read' the office. Perhaps the laptop?

The man regards you in silence for a few seconds before he speaks. His tone does not quite hide his surprise.

"Shibuya-sama. You were the last person I was expecting to see in these offices. I cannot imagine the situation that would require you to ask for our help."

"You have heard of me then?" you ask, feigning interest. Perhaps this man will provide you with enough information for you to ascertain the validity of the company without having to indulge in your psychometry.

"Certainly, Shibuya-sama. I daresay I know more of your exploits than all of our other competitors combined."

_Our_ competitors. The man knows why you're here, a theory confirmed by his next, carefully-chosen words.

"We are the real deal, Shibuya-sama. I give you my personal guarantee. And if that isn't enough for you, ask my best investigator."

He gestures behind you to the opening doorway. A tray laden with three coffee cups precedes the 'best investigator' into the room. Your stomach clenches again, fast and tight. If you'd eaten this morning, you'd be throwing it up right now. Of course, this is where she works. She couldn't go out and get a normal job, where you wouldn't have to ever see her again. She has to come to work for your biggest competitor. You think back to what he said – 'I daresay I know more of your exploits than all of our other competitors combined'. He knows she used to work for you, and judging by the look in his eye, he is thoroughly looking forward to this reunion.

She sees you as soon as she enters, but besides a slight falter on her second step, doesn't hesitate. She places the tray on the desk and hands one cup to her boss, who takes it with a 'thank you, Mai-san'. The next cup she holds with the ends of her fingertips as she holds it out to you. You nod as you relieve her of it.

"I didn't think you liked coffee" she mutters, just loud enough for you to hear. If her boss notices, he ignores it. She takes the last cup for herself – this is filled with tea, you can smell it from where you sit – and leans against the desk facing you. When she speaks, her words are addressed to her boss, though her eyes never leave your form.

"What is Oliver-san doing here, Keiji-san?"

Keiji looks at you for the answer. You think quickly. Telling her that you are here to see if she is working for a fraudster is going to get you assaulted; besides, you know that there is no way she'd go through with that.

"I wanted to see who my competition was."

You don't realise until after you are finished speaking that there are many ways she could construe that statement, and only the way you intended it is good. Sure enough, her eyes narrow and she almost spits at you.

"There is no competition, Oliver-san."

Even when she's mad at you, she's still keeping to that distant honorific. You know when to fight, and when to give in; this situation definitely falls into the latter category. You have to go anyway; the meeting with Mai's former co-workers is in ten minutes. You stand and excuse yourself, bowing and calling her 'Taniyama-san' to show that you, too, can be distant. It doesn't appear to have any effect. To think, she used to berate Lin and Yasuhara for calling her by her last name.

The air outside the Nori offices is brisk with an early morning breeze, but it is still warmer than the look in Mai's eyes as you left the office. You shiver into your jacket and walk back to SPR.

* * *

I'll answer this question before anybody ask it - NORI isn't an abbreviation, like SPR. All will be explained next chapter, or possbily the one after, deoending on how the pagebreaks turn out. Please review, it tells me how well I'm doing, and also let me know if there's anything you'd really like to see happen. I won't promise that I'll do them all, but some might find their way in. Thanks for reading!

Liris  
xxx


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